Austrian Airlines will temporarily suspend flights between Vienna and Zagreb from Monday, marking the third time the carrier has halted operations between the two cities in the last two years. It comes as a result of reduced demand due to surging coronavirus rates. Austrian’s service suspension is currently scheduled to last until at least February 28, although further changes remain possible. The airline had previously stopped flights to the Croatian capital during the global lockdowns in 2020, as well as over the 2020/2021 winter season. Croatia Airlines will continue to link the two capital cities with three weekly rotations planned.
Austrian Airlines will continue to serve its remaining destinations in the former Yugoslavia, including Belgrade, Podgorica, Pristina and Skopje. Both Austrian and Croatia Airlines are part of Star Alliance. Among the premium Lufthansa Group carriers, Lufthansa itself will be the only to maintain services to Zagreb throughout the entire winter with flights from Frankfurt. However, the airline has recently pushed back the resumption of its Munich operations from March 27 to May 2. Lufthansa Group’s low cost arm, Eurowings, will continue to serve Zagreb from Cologne with a reduced schedule, although its flights from Stuttgart and Dusseldorf have been temporarily suspended until February and March respectively.
Traffic between the Croatian capital and Vienna was growing in the lead up to the coronavirus pandemic, with Austrian relying on a notable number of transfer passengers continuing their journey via Vienna onto North America, as well as elsewhere in Europe. In the pre-pandemic 2019, 173.431 travellers flew between Zagreb and the Austrian capital among the two carriers. For its part, Zagreb Airport said, “Due to the rapidly evolving pandemic situation, during the second half of January and part of February, certain flights have been cancelled, but the majority are on sale from February onwards. Zagreb Airport is in contact with airlines across the world. However, due to the confidential nature of such contacts, we cannot share any more information at this time”.
Zagreb - Vienna v.v. passenger traffic
| Year | PAX |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 163.960 |
| 2016 | 160.757 |
| 2017 | 164.108 |
| 2018 | 168.384 |
| 2019 | 173.431 |
| 2020 | 33.482 |
I'm really surprised this route struggles so much
ReplyDeleteWait till Ryanair launches Bratislava. Austrian willl struggle even more.
DeleteI am not so surprised. Austrian keeps selling tickets for 30min connections which fail 1/6 of the time and that purely due to delays. Their ground service is terrible, as is their luggage handling. While the planes and on-board service are okay, they are easily the worst airline in the LH group.
Delete@An.09.10
DeleteP2P demand between ZAG and VIE/BTS is not big, cities are very close and roads good. Not sure FR will start BTS from ZAG, and if, for sure it won't be more than 2 or 3 weekly. Once covid scam is over and transfer traffic restarts, ZAG VIE volume of traffic with legacies will increase, if not to 5 daily as before, to 2 or 3 daily for sure, but neither OU or OS will be hit on this route because of FR. They cover different markets.
Covid scam????
DeleteSweet or salty Airlines. When I hear sweet or salty, it makes me wanna puke. Terrible, nazi-style provider. Swiss and Brussels are so much better!!! Also, Vienna airport is by far the worst in the EU. Rude employees, huge crowds, stupid Mozart balls at every corner, endless corridors at the end of which are nazi airport employees. Horrible!!!
DeleteGood news for Croatia Airlines!
ReplyDeleteWhy? If OS can't make money you expect them to do otherwise?
DeleteIt is very simple. If you have not competition, you can increase the prices and start making profits.
DeleteLet's hope it returns in March
ReplyDeleteFR effect more than covid
ReplyDeleteNo, not here, it's covid scam, less transfers, less long-haul in VIE, closures, tests...
DeleteIf the majority of pax are transfers there are less and less options to transfer with Austrian as they have suspended so many routes
ReplyDeleteThey should have started Ljubljana with Q400. Could have worked.
ReplyDeletethey dont have q400 anymore. the smallest plane they have is Embraer 195.
Delete:(
ReplyDeleteOuch
ReplyDeleteWhen will these cancellations stop?!?
ReplyDeleteWhen there is demand for air travel again.
DeleteNo wonder, Austrian keeps getting more and more expensive just to cover their losses, fares are sometimes astronomically expensive for no reason ...
ReplyDeleteOU 3 weekly... in winter 2019-2020 they had two daily to Vienna.
ReplyDeletewow, who would have thought
Delete:/
DeleteShame to hear this about Austrian. They are a good airline and transferring via VIE is a breeze.
ReplyDeleteThey are the worst airline I ever flew with, and I flew with over 100. Transferring via VIE to Balkan countries in the basement cattle boxes and their attitude is shameful and unacceptable. I wouldn't be sorry even if they don't come back to ZAG ever again
DeleteTo read something positive here: which airline from the LH Group do you like?
DeleteI don't use Austrian that often, only twice a year transfer to SPU, only good experiences so far, also with Vienna Airport
Delete@An.14.23
DeleteI like ex-Sabena, Brussels Airlines. Swiss is OK as well. Lufthansa, I don't like them taking advantage of others, but as a service provider,even with decreased on board service quality, from the overall passenger point of view, I cannot say they are bad either. Eurowings is acceptable for the type of service they provide and prices in accordance with it, and Austrian is definitely the worst one within the group.
This is all becoming far too depressing again.
ReplyDeleteAirlines are doing anything to survive. Routes that don't make sense in the current circumstances are simply being cancelled.
ReplyDeleteI would still expect VIE-ZAG to make sense!
DeleteIt makes sense when you have lots of connections on both ends. But only P2P not really. Zagreb to Vienna is only 3.5 hrs by car.
DeleteUntil all the testing and wearing facemask and travel restrictions nonsense is scrapped, aviation will never return to 2019 levels.
ReplyDelete+1
Delete+100
DeleteBut I wonder how they came to the decision for OU to keep flying this route and Austrian not. Did they discuss it? Did Lufthansa decide? Just wondering what the process is.
ReplyDeleteProbably LH decided it. Remember that Kucko said all flying in winter is unprofitable for OU.
DeleteOS and LH seem to be quite downsizing their operations. They even switched to all CR9 jets on the MUC-BEG route. SKP seems to be unaffected thanks to the Albanian diaspora in Austria.
ReplyDeleteMUC BEG has been on the CRJ for a while now
DeleteSKP is unaffected because VIE (and maybe IST) is the only route that offers one stop connection to the rest of the world especially for USA and Canada. Just try to book a flight from anywhere to SKP and you'll see the options. LOT has someyhing few times a week with bad timings and that's about it. After OS will retire the old 767 that they have, and without plans to renew the fleet, unfortunatly SKP will be left with only IST as a one stop connection.
DeleteEven now most of the SKP connections are 2 stops via VIE, so you fly SKP-VIE-FRA-anywhere. Or SKP-VIE-JFK/IAD/ORD/YYZ-than some United Flight.
Try to go SKP to Miami, San Francisco, Detroit, Atlanta.... good luck.
If they are still around by 28 February...
ReplyDeletelol of course they will be
DeleteThis could be the perfect time for Wizz Air to launch the route.
ReplyDeleteIf OU and OS can't fill a Q400 or Embraer, you expect Wizz to fill A320
DeleteIf nothing, it would be good to see this duopoly end.
DeleteNot surprised to be honest.
ReplyDeleteSo many airlines suspending flights to the region.
ReplyDeleteAirlines are suspending flights everywhere. It is not only the region that is affected.
DeleteIt's corona's fault.
DeleteBut I'm confused they are not suspending any other ex-Yu route.
ReplyDeleteZagreb is the only city in ex-Yu where they have a Star partner.
DeleteAnd their only ex-yu route that can be easily performed by car
DeleteSo much for the LH Group and their commitment to the region.
ReplyDeleteLH group is only committed to Frankfurt and Munich nothing else.
DeleteSo, I flew on the PRN-VIE route with OS on 09JAN. I wanted to share a view observations about my experience.
ReplyDeleteBooked C class tickets for myself and family for a connecting flight via VIE.
Ground services and, in particular, immigration at PRN were excellent, as per usual.
First disappointment, OS no longer offers lounge access at PRN “due to the pandemic.”
Onboard service was very good. As far as load factor is concerned, well, there were more passengers than seats. How is that even possible you may ask, well, every single seat on the airplane (apart from the middle seats in business class) were occupied on the A320 twice daily flight serving the route and there were a total on 9 infants on the flight, each seating on an adults lap. Uneventful and pleasant flight overall.
Then we arrive at VIE and I am reminded that I have landed in Vienna when security is unnecessarily rude when 3 members of staff had to process 2 adults and 2 children. I was not allowed to put my scarf on the same tray and my child’s jacket although we were part of the same travelling group. No big deal, but the tone and attitude towards passengers at a quiet time was uncalled for.
Then the next disappointment follows. The Star Alliance lounge at VIE G gates was shut. It apparently closes at 13:30 nowadays. I could not believe my eyes. They still sell C class tickets but don’t offer lounge access.
After a bit of shopping and several coffees and teas we boarded our flight to the final destination. The onboard service was even better because the aircraft was only about a quarter full. Staff were polite, the food was good, and flight was thankfully uneventful.
My final point was with regards to the reason why the independent travel agents are doing well at PRN during the pandemic. I had booked the tickets just before Omicron variant was detected. With increased infection rates throughout the world and the fact that are trip was for leisure, I tried to cancel the flight. Although I had booked business class tickets there was no refund available except the airport fees. I was encouraged to dial a number in Austria and potentially I might have been offered Austrian vouchers, but I already have British Airways vouchers from the beginning of the pandemic and I could do with more money in the bank account rather than some more airline vouchers. The independent travel agents that I have flown with before offer instant vouchers for the whole value, free of charge unlimited changes, and if you paid in cash you can be refunded in cash (some people still do, I guess). And that’s not even flying business class. No wonder they are popular considering that countries are changing their entry rules at the last minute and a positive test result prevents you from boarding a flight (rightly so).
Would I book the same flights again in hindsight? No, I would not. But then Austrian did have more passengers than seats on the flight, so I am not sure they will be too upset by me not flying with them until the situation normalises to a degree at least.
Wow! Bravo independent travel agents!
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